The Angels will honor Rory Markas before tonight's game against the Twins. The Angels' broadcaster died suddenly in January.

Markas' brothers, Gary and Troy, and his mother, Billie, are expected to attend tonight's game. Troy will throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game with Rory's former broadcast partner, Terry Smith, on the receiving end.

" Without getting too sappy, this opportunity is essentially the final piece to our personal/professional puzzle that allows us all to be together in the ultimate location with the ultimate organization. It's just right."

January 12th, 2010, 12:05 pm by Sam Miller, The Orange County Register

Close friends, colleagues and family will gather in the Angel Stadium Diamond Club Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a Celebration of Life service to remember broadcaster Rory Markas. The event is not open to the public.

As assignments go, having to look at who might replace Rory Markas as the Angels TV play-by-play announcer is obviously one story I wish I didn't have to do.

As I wrote in today's slide show, replacing Markas in the hearts and minds of countless Angels fans will be impossible. He was very good at what he did, and he was well-liked, sentiments expressed often even before his untimely passing.

Someone will get the job, however. Some readers have already expressed their thoughts.

Here's a chance to do so again, with a poll of some of the candidates, real or imagined, that might join the Angels broadcast team.

I just got off the phone with Bert Blyleven, who missed election to baseball's Hall of Fame by five votes in his 13th year of eligibility.

"I thought it was going to be close -- my wife Gail and I did," said the former Angels right-hander, now an outstanding Twins broadcaster. "Of course it's disappointing to have to wait another year, but you try to stay upbeat."

Blyleven said he was encouaged by the increase in his vote total, and he sounded much more positive about the experience than he did in our conversation last year.

Told that it's a near-certainty that he and second baseman Roberto Alomar will go into the Hall in 2011, Blyleven said: "I think that's great, because I was a teammate of his father (Sandy Alomar Sr.).

"I can give my acceptance speech in Dutch, and Roberto can do his in Puerto Rican."